Broccoli Salad

This was so popular at the Garland Womens Retreat that we asked the kitchen for the recipe.  I notice it comes from a popular cooking show hostess.  I hope she won't sue us for publishing the recipe.  We're not making any money from it, we're just making a great compliment to the cooks at Camp Gilmont and the Cooking Show Hostess whose name I won't mention because I don't want her people surfing the internet for recipe thieves and finding me then sueing me for a million dollars just for one little broccoli salad recipe.  Sheesh.

Now I'm almost afraid to ask who brought the spicy crackers she made and get her recipe for it.  Proceed at your own risk.

Fresh Cranberry Relish

This is from the Dallas Arboretum cookbook.  Whenever I think of cranberry relish I think of the canned stuff you invariably forget to put on the table until after the meal is over. It also doesn't taste all that great.  THIS recipe is delicious.

4 cups fresh cranberries (or one package)
2 apples, cored
2 oranges, seeded
Orange zest
3/4 cup sugar

Zest the oranges.  Chop the cranberries.  Peel and chop the apples.  Peel and chop the oranges. Mix it all together with the juices from all that peeling and chopping.  Add the sugar.

If you have any left over after the big meal you can use it to make a great fruit smoothie.

Cheese Wafers

I got a lot of compliments on these crackers at the annual Womens Retreat at Gilmont this weekend.  I can't take credit for them because I got the recipe from a cookbook the Dallas Arboretum put out.  It has recipes of some of the great dishes they serve in their tea room.

No matter where it came from this recipe produces a crisp, light and tasty savory for afternoon tea:

1/2 pound butter (Now you understand why this is so good.)
4 cups of grated Sharp Cheese
2 cups of flour
1 cup of finely chopped pecans
1 Tablespoon Paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt

Blend the butter and cheese together.  Add the pecans and spices and mix well.  Add the flour and mix well. 
Roll this into a 2 inch roll.  Wrap in plastic and chill.........30 minutes in the freezer will do.  Use the refrigerator if you will chill longer.  You don't want to have to cut frozen dough.

Slice into 1/4 inch slices.  Bake at 350 degrees 10-15 minutes or so until crisp.

After they've cooled you can freeze them if you need to. This makes about 36.  Maybe a bit more.  I tasted some and kind of  lost track of how many I ate.